The Abandoned Arthritic
This article(incl the pictures) was origially printed in the
Summer 2006 edition of Veggie Health, the magazine produced by
The Vegetarian and
Vegan Foundation
Emma Bradley gave up dairy for moral reasons and finds it has almost ended her life-long arthritis
Throughout my life, I`ve been dogged by two health problems - rheumatoid arthritis and being overweight.
Rheumatoid arthritis can be extremely painful and is commonly seen as an old person`s disease but can affect anyone at any age. I was diagnosed at just 18 months old and as a consequence have spent much of my life taking drugs and undergoing physiotherapy and hydrotherapy simply to stay mobile.
During flare-up periods, I needed help to get out of bed and to go to the toilet whereas in the quiet times I was able to walk reasonable distances and even do aerobics classes. This, of course, is the nature of arthritis.
But what caused the flare-ups? I had no idea - until recently. I am convinced it was milk and dairy products.
Being overweight was partly caused by lack of mobility due to the arthritis but also poor nutrition. Although I had become vegetarian at the age of 13, I had simply replaced meat with cheese. I tried a variety of diets and although I lost alot of weight, they were very restrictive and as soon as I moved in with my boyfriend, now my husband, my old habits returned and the weight piled back on - plus some.
My husband Lee was a meat eater when I met him but quickly accepted my ethical decision and joined me in becoming vegetarian. When our daughter Lara was born - she is now three - we raised her as a veggie, too. It was wanting the best for her that made us really analyse our diet.
My life began to change. I joined a slimming club and really lost weight through the help and support I received and learnt how to keep it off. My health improved but not enough to stop me needing drugs. And then I met a man called Kevin White of Redditch Veggies and Vegans.
Lee and I had been ignorant of the cruelty inherent in the dairy industry and had no idea that cows had to be made pregnant to produce milk - I thought they just naturally made it. I had also believed that dairy was healthy and without it food would be bland and tasteless. How naive I was!
In October 2005 we went to a local veggie fayre where all the food was vegan and it was delicious. It was then we decided it was time to go vegan! We learnt to cook new dishes, found replacements for our old ones and were surprised at how easy it was. And then came the arguments.
`A vegan diet is much too restrictive`, `You`re forcing your views on your child`, and so on. The truth is, Lara`s diet was now much less restrictive with a wide range of healthy foods - brown rice, peas, beans, lentils, cous cous, pasta, tofu and lots of fruit and veg and fresh herbs. Okay, we`re not angels and still enjoy things like crisps, chocolate and soya ice cream but in moderation.
We believe we are doing the best for our daughter by ensuring she has a varied, healthy diet, is compassionate and has respect for animals and the environment.
Not everyone has been negative and many people have shown great interest. I`ve swapped recipes with a mum whose daughter is allergic to eggs and dairy; had a friend who put her son on soya milk to see if it improves his eczema; and baked cakes for others to taste what dairy-free cooking is like.
Lara has taken it all in her stride. She has a different biscuit at parent and toddler group, takes her own drink to nursery school and has started asking if foods are vegan. When she saw a man fishing in our local pond she said he was naughty and nasty to the fish!
There has been a totally unexpected yet major benefit for me! The pain of my arthritis has reduced to such a degree that I no longer need medication - for almost the first time in my life. Fantastic as it is, I am still annoyed that in spite of all the evidence showing that dairy foods can aggravate rheumatoid arthritis, no doctor or even specialist passed on this information to me or my parents.
I had a happy childhood but there were things I missed out on such as climbing trees or riding a bike and I am left with deformed joints. Would it have been a different story if I`d stopped having dairy as a child?
I became vegan for reasons of conscience but the longer I am vegan, the more I learn about the health benefits of this diet - lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, asthma, eczema, obesity, food poisoning etc etc.
What parent wouldn`t want that for their child?
Emma Bradley gave up dairy for moral reasons and finds it has almost ended her life-long arthritis
Throughout my life, I`ve been dogged by two health problems - rheumatoid arthritis and being overweight.
Rheumatoid arthritis can be extremely painful and is commonly seen as an old person`s disease but can affect anyone at any age. I was diagnosed at just 18 months old and as a consequence have spent much of my life taking drugs and undergoing physiotherapy and hydrotherapy simply to stay mobile.
During flare-up periods, I needed help to get out of bed and to go to the toilet whereas in the quiet times I was able to walk reasonable distances and even do aerobics classes. This, of course, is the nature of arthritis.
But what caused the flare-ups? I had no idea - until recently. I am convinced it was milk and dairy products.
Being overweight was partly caused by lack of mobility due to the arthritis but also poor nutrition. Although I had become vegetarian at the age of 13, I had simply replaced meat with cheese. I tried a variety of diets and although I lost alot of weight, they were very restrictive and as soon as I moved in with my boyfriend, now my husband, my old habits returned and the weight piled back on - plus some.
My husband Lee was a meat eater when I met him but quickly accepted my ethical decision and joined me in becoming vegetarian. When our daughter Lara was born - she is now three - we raised her as a veggie, too. It was wanting the best for her that made us really analyse our diet.
My life began to change. I joined a slimming club and really lost weight through the help and support I received and learnt how to keep it off. My health improved but not enough to stop me needing drugs. And then I met a man called Kevin White of Redditch Veggies and Vegans.
Lee and I had been ignorant of the cruelty inherent in the dairy industry and had no idea that cows had to be made pregnant to produce milk - I thought they just naturally made it. I had also believed that dairy was healthy and without it food would be bland and tasteless. How naive I was!
In October 2005 we went to a local veggie fayre where all the food was vegan and it was delicious. It was then we decided it was time to go vegan! We learnt to cook new dishes, found replacements for our old ones and were surprised at how easy it was. And then came the arguments.
`A vegan diet is much too restrictive`, `You`re forcing your views on your child`, and so on. The truth is, Lara`s diet was now much less restrictive with a wide range of healthy foods - brown rice, peas, beans, lentils, cous cous, pasta, tofu and lots of fruit and veg and fresh herbs. Okay, we`re not angels and still enjoy things like crisps, chocolate and soya ice cream but in moderation.
We believe we are doing the best for our daughter by ensuring she has a varied, healthy diet, is compassionate and has respect for animals and the environment.
Not everyone has been negative and many people have shown great interest. I`ve swapped recipes with a mum whose daughter is allergic to eggs and dairy; had a friend who put her son on soya milk to see if it improves his eczema; and baked cakes for others to taste what dairy-free cooking is like.
Lara has taken it all in her stride. She has a different biscuit at parent and toddler group, takes her own drink to nursery school and has started asking if foods are vegan. When she saw a man fishing in our local pond she said he was naughty and nasty to the fish!
There has been a totally unexpected yet major benefit for me! The pain of my arthritis has reduced to such a degree that I no longer need medication - for almost the first time in my life. Fantastic as it is, I am still annoyed that in spite of all the evidence showing that dairy foods can aggravate rheumatoid arthritis, no doctor or even specialist passed on this information to me or my parents.
I had a happy childhood but there were things I missed out on such as climbing trees or riding a bike and I am left with deformed joints. Would it have been a different story if I`d stopped having dairy as a child?
I became vegan for reasons of conscience but the longer I am vegan, the more I learn about the health benefits of this diet - lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, asthma, eczema, obesity, food poisoning etc etc.
What parent wouldn`t want that for their child?